1. Field of the Invention
A pair of clamps are attached to a damaged bone one each side of a fracture site during a surgical reduction, one clamp on each side of the fracture site, after which the two clamps are slidably engaged to a single pivotal alignment bar, with the clamps then being adjusted to properly align the bone for a surgical attachment using a bone plate which is secured between the respective bone and each respective clamp, holding the bone in place with the bone in proper alignment for the attachment of screws through the plate into the bone, stabilizing the fracture site during the plate attachment procedure.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present bone reduction and plate clamp assembly, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art. Those patent include the following patent within the relevant field of art.
Prior art has demonstrated several linear alignment clamps which have been used in surgical applications for bone reduction. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,840 to Watanabe, a linear bone clamp is disclosed having a base member with a guideway and an abutment face on a sliding member. However the base member fails to disclose attachment to any alignment bar. There is an attachment to a handle, but the handle is undefined within the disclosed prior art. It also lacks any secondary means to position a bone plate between the clamp and the bone once the bone is secured. A linear bone clamp is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,957 to Hackett, but is has no V-shaped clamping face nor does it attach to any alignment bar. Its stated purpose is to hold bone fragments in place during a surgical procedure and its disclosed function is as a singular clamping instrument. U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,429 demonstrates a linear clamp with a detachable clamping portion which is installed upon a bone and then the handle portion is withdrawn, leaving only the locked clamping members in place. It is used upon the fracture site to hold the fracture site in place permanently secured about the fracture site.
A diametral extensometer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,349 which appears to be a type of clamp meant to hold a cylindrical shaft within three circumferential points around the cylinder using three individually extended plates mounted within a semicircular frame, with each extended plate being independently extended towards a central point to hold the shaft about its circumference with radial adjustment, using a plurality of V-shaped contact surfaces.
The only surgical clamping tool which indicates the use of a pair of clamps with an alignment bar is U.S. Pat. No. 6,605,088 to St. Onge. In that patent, a pair of bone clamps further attach to an alignment bar. The clamp indicates several element of similar nature, but a subjective reading of the patent shows distinct difference between the claimed components of the present clamping assembly and that of St. Onge. The alignment bar is strictly linear, and is demonstrated and claimed as being telescopic. This linear adjustment does not provide for a pivotally adjusted assembly nor does it disclose at least one pivotal means of allowing for the alignment bar to provide anything but a two-dimensional alignment of the bar and the clamps. It is noted that the clamps may be rotated upon the bar at several angles, but the bar itself is not pivotal. The bar is also rounded and does not indicate a square profile or a secure connection to each alignment bar to provide the clamps in a manner to fully immobilize and a stable reduction of the bone during application of a plate during the surgical procedure. It also does not conform the connection to the clamp within a square bar receiving notch with a screw forced against a squared edge to maximize the force between the screw and the alignment bar for this secure attachment between the clamp and the alignment bar. St. Onge further fails to disclose the secondary clamp adjustment means to secure the clamp to a bone and then further secure a bone plate between the clamp and the bone.